CCGL9065: Our Response to Climate Change: HK2100

Food Systems

Dr. Hongshan Guo and Class

This Week’s Battlefield

Two Sides. Two Food Futures.

PRO-CLIMATE

= Transform the Food System

= “Meat is murder (of the planet)”

PRO-DEVELOPMENT

= Improve, Don’t Replace

= “Let people eat what they want”

The Core Tension

PRO-CLIMATE	PRO-DEVELOPMENT
Reduce meat consumption	Improve meat production
Plant-based is the future	Choice and tradition matter
Systemic dietary change	Individual freedom
Global emissions focus	Local livelihoods focus
Health + planet aligned	Economic stability priority

This tension defines every food policy debate.

Quick Recap From Two Weeks Ago

‘Us against the AI’
Role-played as Pro/Anti-CC experts and diﬀerent professions
Did a little bit of work on Notion
Skipped the Group Discussion

Logistic Questions

Tutorial Assignments?
- Pick your time slots
- CIC-Badged so starting off with reflective writing for T1/T2 (W2/W3)
Notion Pages and how that works?
- Refer to Annoucement Email on publishing and submitting
- Submit URL Only shared as published site
- Due EOD every Wednesday

CCGL9065: Our Response to Climate Change

Address Common Concerns on Pro/Anti-CC

Take Climate Change Pro/Against as stances
Discuss complex issues each week from various angles
Familiarize with common/uncommon narratives
Role-play as people from diﬀerent social pockets

A little Brain-Storming with Pro-CC Stances

Highlight how climate change impacts these areas and propose sustainable solutions or adaptations.
Tailor arguments to weekly themes to win more support through narratives/visuals/videos that shapes different people’s perceptions
Raise awareness from public on why being more/less climate-friendly is relevant to everybody.
Propose Solutions to theme-related challenges

Food Systems - What do we know about them?

Some of the hottest topics on food systems

Plant-based diets/meat alternatives
- Shifting towards plant-based eating and rise of lab-grown meat
Food waste reduction
- Strategies to minimize food waste throughout the supply chain from farm to table
Regenerative agriculture:
- Farming practices that sequester carbon in soil, improve biodiversity and enhance ecosystem resilience.
Vertical farming and urban agriculture
Sustainable fishing: over-fishing?
Carbon labeling of food products

Meat Alternatives & Climate Change: The Debate

Scientific Pros

30-90% fewer greenhouse gas emissions
Significantly reduced land use
Lower water consumption

Scientific Cons

Energy-intensive processing for some alternatives
Potential monoculture issues (e.g., soy, peas)
Nutritional profile differences

Narrative Pros

Innovative tech solution to climate change
Enables “ethical consumption”
Potential to improve global food security

Narrative Cons

Perception as “overly processed” food
Cultural resistance to traditional dish substitutes
Accusations of “greenwashing”

Cutting-Edge Discussions

Cell-based meat: Promise vs. reality
Hybrid products: A transitional solution?
Algae and mycoprotein: The next frontier
Local vs. imported: Which is better?
Holistic assessments: Beyond just emissions
Policy impacts on climate benefits

Cell-based meat
- Also known as lab-grown or cultured meat
- Promise: Identical to conventional meat but with much lower environmental impact
- Reality: Still in development, high production costs, energy requirements uncertain
- Key debate: Will it be scalable and truly more sustainable at industrial levels?
- Companies to mention: Memphis Meats, Mosa Meat, Aleph Farms
Hybrid products
- Blend of plant-based ingredients and conventional meat
- Examples: Burger patties with 30% mushroom, 70% beef
- Pros: Easier consumer transition, immediate impact on reducing meat consumption
- Cons: May slow transition to fully plant-based alternatives
- Key question: Are these a stepping stone or a distraction?
Algae and mycoprotein
- Algae: High in protein, omega-3s; can be grown in non-arable land
- Mycoprotein (e.g., Quorn): Fungal-based, lower land and water use than soy
- Benefits: Potentially more sustainable than current plant-based proteins
- Challenges: Taste, texture, consumer acceptance
- Future potential: Could these become primary protein sources?
Local vs. imported:
- Debate: Local meat vs. imported plant-based alternatives
- Factors to consider: Transportation emissions vs. production emissions
- Complexity: “Food miles” often less impactful than production methods
- Key point: Need for case-by-case analysis; no one-size-fits-all answer
- Example study: NZ lamb in UK markets vs. local UK lamb
Holistic assessments
- Moving beyond just carbon footprint
- Factors to include: Water use, biodiversity impact, soil health, social factors
- Tools: Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) becoming more comprehensive
- Challenge: How to communicate complex data to consumers?
- Emerging concept: “True Cost Accounting” in food systems
Policy impacts
- Current: Many policies still favor conventional meat production
- Potential changes: Carbon pricing, emissions labels, sustainability subsidies
- Debate: How would these policies affect meat alternatives’ competitiveness?
- Global aspect: Need for international coordination in policy approaches
- Example: EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy and its potential impact on meat alternatives

Key message: These discussions highlight the complexity of the issue. There’s no simple answer, but addressing these points is crucial for the future of sustainable food systems.

Key Takeaway

Meat alternatives offer significant potential for climate change mitigation, but challenges remain. The debate is complex, involving science, culture, and policy.

Some Interesting Representation of those ideas - For-CC on Meat

Some Interesting Representation of those ideas - Against-CC on Meat

Group Assignment Time!

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